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Monday, August 26, 2013

Linking up with Becky to talk about the things I swore up and down I would never do, that now that Im actually a Momma of course I actually DO.

1. Let my child watch tv shows. Was I out of my gourd?? I thought that TV would stunt his imagination and I didn't want him relying on pictures to entertain him, because I wanted him to be able to entertain himself. Now? When dinner needs cooked or Momma has a phone call to make- why hello Calliou and Thomas On Demand. You are loved in this house. Now obviously I try to keep it reasonable and I don't stick him in front of the TV all day long, but sometimes you just have to hit play.

2. Make two separate meals. My child will eat what we eat was always my motto. Until Grayson decided that he'll eat chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, rice, fruit, veggies and bread. I cant eat those every day. So when we have spaghetti and he wont touch it, he gets easy mac. He eats and is happy and that makes me happy.

3. Allow my child to dictate routine. Pssh. Anyone who is a parent realizes how quick that thought was getting tossed out the window. I let Grayson go with the flow, and you know what? He broke himself of the binky and bottle. He lays down without a fight. It may not have been on my terms, but we got there and we got there just fine.

4. Let my child go outside unless fully dressed. If we are going to the store, he's always dressed, don't get me wrong. But to go play on the porch with shave cream and bubbles? A diaper is perfectly well dressed in my book. If I don't have to wrestle him out of clothes then attempt to get the stains out its just easier on me.

5. Let my child wear character clothing. This used to be a pet peeve of mine. I didn't really like when kids wore shirts with cartoon characters on them. I don't know why it bugged me, but it did. Until my almost two year old started requesting his "ISSSS" shirt or his "Orge" shirt. In time I learned that letting them pick an outfit makes the fight to get dressed so much easier I don't care what's on his shirt as long as its clean. I even let Grayson get his two year old pictures wearing his beloved Thomas hat. Because you know what, hes two, looks adorable, and I was wrong. I can admit it when I was wrong and Moms and Dads I have seen the light.

Im sure as he grows my list of never will I ever's will slowly switch, because we never really know what we will do until we're in that moment. As long as our kids are happy, healthy and loved that's all that really matters. But I really will never ever let that child leave home and go off to college or kindergarten without his Momma. That one is for sure!

What were some of your Never Evers? Go link up with Becky and let me know!

Thursday, August 22, 2013

One day a couple months ago at dinner I asked Grayson what kind of birthday party he would like to have. I honestly didn't think he would answer me, you know seeing as he only said a few words at this point. Much to both mine and the hubs surprise, he looked up from his plate of rice and said "ISSS" Which in Grayson speak- is Thomas the Tank Engine.

So, obviously, we're throwing a Thomas party.

If you've been following my Birthday Pinterest Board, you'll see a mix of Thomas and Curious George. That's because goobs couldn't decide for the longest time between the two. So we decided for his big party with friends he will have his Thomas Party, then we'll do a small George family party on the day of his actual birthday. Yes, I am certifiably insane, I know this.

I ordered our invites from SplashBox Printables via Etsy. I also ordered from them custom food and water bottle labels. Super fast turn around and great customer service.

I've been pinning like mad and crafting like a crazy person to get a lot of it done before I go back to school. Here are some of my inspirations-

Cake pops and t-shirt are ordered. Birthday cake is being made by a talented friend- no idea what it will look like, I leave that to her. Food is ordered. The rest is up to Mommy and Nana to make. On the list is a custom Cranky the Crane to hold the sandwich tray, wooden fronts to turn the tables into trains, treat bags, various train themed food displays, backdrops for food, cake and gift tables, centerpieces and of course Grayson's present. I cant wait to share with you my projects once the party is over!

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Every once in awhile I will catch myself wishing that I can remember what Grayson is like at this age forever. The little moments, the random things he does, they are amazing. Im so glad we live in an age where an iphone can whip out and record most of these moments.

How he reaches for my hand when he's watching cartoons and drinking his milk.

How he carries around his blanket and his Monkey when he's tired.

The fact that he has to have ALL of his blankies with him when he's falling asleep- hello, blanket hoarder.

The wonder he sees in bubbles.

How he picks up any bugs without fear and delights in showing them to me.

The ducklips he gives when he's coming in for a mooch.

How he giggles at Curious George.

The fact that tickle Mommy is a favorite game.

How he crawls up onto my lap and lays his head on my belly and rubs his face into my tummy with a giggle. He can spend a good hour snuggled like that.

When he learns a new word, and is so stinking proud of himself.

How he sits on the counter with me while I make dinner and eats a sucker jabbering to me about life.

How we call him El Destructo because he can destroy a room faster than any tornado could.

Those curtains used to be attached to that door. Sweet, huh?

Every time I think I want to remember this forever, he does something else that I want to add to the list. I'm so glad I can take pictures and videos to remember these moments because otherwise I would forget. Lets face it, I have to write down the passwords that I use to log into websites I visit daily- my memory is pretty shoddy like that.

Plus I don't know about you, but I love having them on my phone so when Motherhood has me waving the white flag (like above, when he ripped my curtains off the windows while I was on the phone) I can look back and remind myself that he's just learning and growing and these moments will pass. Even if it seems like the difficult moments take longer to pass than the fun ones, they all go by far too quickly for this Momma's liking.

Monday, August 19, 2013

Its a favorite time of year here in our house, the start of football season. That means on any given Sunday you can find us crowded on the sofa watching the Steelers- and eating lots of snacks, of course! This year we decided that we wanted to try to eat a little bit healthier, since Grayson wants to eat everything we're eating. So when I was presented the opportunity to try out Green Giant Veggie Snack Chips, I jumped at the chance.

When I saw the slogan, bite into giant flavor I was a bit skeptical. I've had different veggie chips before, and most of them needed dip to cover up the taste of the actual chip. Let me say right now, these are not those chips.

I first tried out the Garden Ranch Veggie Tortilla Chips, and they were easily my favorite. Why? Because they taste EXACTLY like Cool Ranch Doritos, but better. Now, I know you may be skeptical. But this isn't like when someone tells you cauliflower sauce tastes exactly like Alfredo sauce- that is complete crap, and I'm telling the truth. These chips are the perfect thickness and have a great amount of tang that keeps you going back for more. But, they come without the greasy feeling and guilt- because even though they are chips, they are made with veggies. Its a great snack swap that I don't mind my kiddo sticking his hand out to snag a chip or two.

Now my husband is probably the one person on the planet that doesn't like ranch, so he much preferred the Multi Grain Sweet Potato Barbecue Chips. He's a big barbecue chip fan, and his first comment was that these chips were not greasy like regular chips. The flavor-packed crunch wasn't overpowering, and they were just a bit thicker than regular chips making them just a bit more satisfying in my opinion. They were definitely delicious. What you cant see in the above picture is the fact that between my almost two year old and my husband, they nearly killed the bag of chips before I even got to take the pictures for this post.

The chip snatcher himself, hard at work taste testing.

A healthy snack option that is toddler, husband and Momma approved? You better bet I'll be stocking my cupboard with these chips for football Sundays and all the days in between. Green Giant also offers a Zesty Cheddar and Sea Salt variety- which I can not wait to try. I'm thinking that the Zesty Cheddar will be an awesome replacement for the usual chips I use to make my Cheesy Chicken Dorito Casserole.

Happy Snacking!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Seriously? Who doesn't love a good candle? And when you pair that with the chance to find a ring worth up to $5,000 inside that candle? Well, Sign me up.

Enter Diamond Candles. The all natural soy based candles that smell AMAZING.

When I first hit the website it took me forever to decide which one I wanted. After much deliberation I chose Sunwashed because I cant pass up the smell of fresh washed laundry, and very few candles can get that smell right. However, Peachy Mango, Miami Beach, Island Getaway, Cupcake and Lavender and Lemon you are all on my I need to buy you list.

When the candle arrived- super fast shipping by the way- I was really glad to see how well protected it was in the box. It arrived in perfect condition, and I have seen my mailman whip boxes from the front steps to the door so I was a bit nervous. Like I said very few people can get that true sunwashed laundry smell and this candle nailed it right on the head. When I lit it, immediately it filled my whole downstairs with the most amazing clean scent. The best part was that the smell wasn't overpowering, even when you were close to the candle. It was perfect.

The back of the candle shows you where your ring is located, and lets you know that your ring could be worth $10, $100, $1000 or $5000!

I was super glad they didn't put the ring too far down, because I was super excited to see what was in there. I will admit that I didn't dig through the wax with a spoon like some people but I may have poured a little of the wax off each time to get to the ring quicker!

All totaled, it took about 15 hours of burn time to get to this point where I could grab the ring with a pair of tweezers.

It's crazy, I love burning candles but having the chance to find a ring- possibly a vary valuable ring- made the experience of burning this candle so much more exciting. I found myself just watching to see how fast it was burning. Now that the ring is out I love that I have the ring to look back and remember the experience and excitement that I felt. Normally with candles you don't get a souvenir, so Diamond Candles makes it extra special. They are also priced cheaper than most large jar candles, and none of those candles include a piece of jewelry. Easily a win-win in my book. I may or may not have already ordered a second one or possibly a third...well shipping is free once you spend $45, so it only made sense to order two, right?! Check Diamond Candles out on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, or Twitter to see other peoples fun ring finds!

Oh and the best part- the amazing folks at Diamond Candles are giving me the chance to give one of you lovelies a FREE candle as well! Use the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win!!

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

The end of summer is vast approaching. My Facebook and Twitter feeds are full of two sides to this story. First is the parents, some who can not wait to get the bored kiddos back to learning and back on schedule and others who are sad to have the kids gone from the house all day long. The other side is my teacher friends, commiserating that the summer flew by and its almost time to head back to work. The latter always includes some type of comment akin to "Bout time", "Must be nice to have three months off", or some other equally dumb statement.

Listen, I don't want to poo-poo what anyone else does for a living as I know there are HUNDREDS of jobs you couldn't pay me to do; but let me say this folks- teaching is hard.

Soon I will pull my car up to the building. I will unload bag after bag of things I have purchased for my classroom. Folders, binders, pencils (seriously my kids NEVER have pencils), erasers, glue sticks, rulers, kleenex, hand sanitizer, posters- you name it, it's there. Its not required that I purchase these things, of course, but I always have them on hand for kids who need them. I often have kids from previous years come back and ask if I have an extra binder because theirs is broken and they don't have money to buy a new one. They never get turned away...although sometimes they end up with a pink flowered binder and a blue book cover.

Ill set up my room with the help of Pinterest. Creating bulletin boards to inspire and jazz up the normally boring white walls to make a comfortable, cozy space. I live here for the next nine months- I want it to feel awesome.

Then I will sit in meetings. Countless meetings. Fire safety, Keystone Exam, Common Core Standards, SDI's, Co-Teaching, Differentiated Instruction. Who knows what they will be about this year. We will dutifully sit there as the newest buzz tries to re-invent the wheel. We will hear new ideas and plan with our departments and co-teachers how to incorporate them into our lesson plans. We will get trained on the new copiers/printers/technology, learn our duty assignments and just like the kids see who we eat lunch with and who has the same prep times. We will walk bare halls that smell clean as we gear up for the first days of school- which are always crazy.

Then the first day happens. The clean smelling halls will be gone as they fill with teenagers and lockers fill up with things and lunches that will be forgotten about- ew. Paper and pencils will litter the halls as kids scramble about from class to class. We teachers will be back to work, we will be on; and for anyone who doesn't teach, you just don't understand what that means. It's okay that you don't get it, because I have no idea what you do at your job- but I'm going to try to explain it a bit.

When I get to work, immediately, I'm on a stage. I write and research my "script" every day on my own, but it always calls for a little improv when the natives start getting restless. I keep the kids engaged with cool stories and animations about DNA and Natural Resources. I plan projects that will allow them to show off their creativity and learning, that will take me three times longer to grade than a regular test. I give them chances to create their own assessments and participate and teach each other. I email parents CONSTANTLY to keep up on the kids who are slacking off and to give praise to the ones who are kicking butt.

I never sit down. Sitting gives the natives time to do something unexpected. If they never know where I'm headed next, their faces are much less likely to end up on Instagram during class.

I schedule my bathroom breaks and snack times not by when I am hungry or need to pee, but by the ringing of a bell. If something holds me up and I don't have time to get my coffee before the bell rings, I don't get it. Ill have another chance in 48 minutes.

I get judged by people who have no background in science. They come in one day of 180 and watch me teach for 30 minutes and truly they have no idea if what I am saying is fact or fiction. But they will judge me based on student participation and what's on my walls. That evaluation and how kids not even in my classroom score on tests help determine my salary and my "effectiveness" at my job.

I have kids who will share the most intimate details with me, things I never in my mind wanted to know. They open up about insecurities, relationships, problems at home, struggles and triumphs. I have been their through the loss of parents, kids getting bullied, kids who confess to me that they have an eating disorder or are cutting themselves, and kids who feel that their parents just truly hate them. I have held hands as we go talk to a guidance counselor or call home to let someone know what's going on. I've hugged them and told them its going to be okay when I'm not sure if it will be. I've gone to track meets, football games, baseball games, school plays and concerts. I've celebrated birthdays, earning drivers licenses, coming back from injuries and even the birth of a students child. None of the things in the above paragraph technically fall within my job description to teach science- but when you are a teacher, that's all part of the job.

I don't get to leave my job at 3:00 and not worry about it. Once I get home I still check email, grade papers, lesson plan and prepare for the next scheduled "performance". Often I do this as I'm watching my own child take a bath, play with his toys or watch a show on tv. I always say that I don't have one child, I have 140. Because these kids really do become "mine".

Most teachers will say the same thing. Even as we sink into our chairs at the end of the day, eyes glazed over as we feel we have just run a marathon. By tomorrow morning we will be back "on" ready to go and inspire these tiny (and some not so tiny) humans to reach goals they never knew they had.

Its a hard job, but its my job. I love it and I couldn't imagine doing anything else. To some people it might seem easy, to some it might seem hard but I guarantee it takes a special person to do this job. Just the same as it takes a special person to be a serviceman, doctor or accountant. I couldn't do their jobs, and they probably couldn't do mine.

So do me a favor, next time you see a Facebook post saying "First day back tomorrow" resist the urge to make a goofy comment and instead say a simple thank you. We are going back to inspiring the next generation of citizens, the people who will pay your social security and inspire all other professions. If that's not hard work, y'all, I don't know what is.

Monday, August 12, 2013

Linking up again with Becky today to talk about my goals for motherhood...because that's an easy post to knock out. This one took awhile, and there were a few tears while writing it.

How do I set goals for something I will do for the rest of my life? A goal is sort of like an endpoint (its actually partially defined as an end point), and you never really end being a mother. I chose to look at another part of the definition, a target or an objective so that I wasn't so emotional thinking about the time that will come when my child(ren) won't really need me anymore.

1. Be patient. Grayson is almost two and he knows how to try my patience already. It's important that when I am frustrated or THIS close to loosing my cool that I stop, take a breath, and find that extra dose of patience. I want to give him the room to grow and become his own little person, so sometimes I need to resist the urge to say "No, let me do it" or correct the way he is doing something because its not exactly "right". But you know what, HE is doing it. He is trying, growing and he's so proud of himself for accomplishing the task. Sure, sometimes that means it takes us 15 minutes to brush our teeth and comb our hair, but it gets done and we're both better for it. I've also noticed that when I am more patient with him, he shows more patience with others.

2. Be in the moment. Nine months of the year, I'm a working momma. I get three months of SAHM where I get to do all of the fun stuff that I miss out on all school year long. Embarrassingly enough, sometimes I don't take enough opportunity to enjoy that time as I am thinking of all of the other stuff that needs to get done in the day. Rushing him inside from exploring the bugs in the mulch beds because we have to make dinner or checking my work email while he is coloring because I need to respond to a question from my boss. I'm there, but I'm not as in the moment as I would like to be; and I need to change that, esp when I head back to work and only get a few hours a day to be with my kiddo.

3. Be a Yes Mom. There is that old saying that used to appear on bibs and t-shirts 'I think my name is no-no'. I try everyday to say "yes" to things that Grayson wants, even when they are harder for me or not what I want. Last night I made him dinner, and he didn't want to eat. I made him chicken fryz and cut up a banana, which he usually loves. He shook his head no and cried. Rather than telling him to eat and ignore him, I asked him what he would like to eat. I unstrapped him from his booster seat and let him show me around the kitchen as to what he would like to eat. He picked mac n cheese and an apple. I made the mac, cut up the apple and sat it in front of him. By the time he was done eating there was nothing left on his plate and he was asking for more apple. Sure, by the time I sat down my dinner was a little cooler than I would have liked but I was okay with it. I don't want him to get the idea that he can demand whatever he wants for dinner, but I want to be able to say yes to his thoughts a lot more. Even if that means blowing bubbles in the living room or squeezing a whole can of shave cream out into the tub and playing in the foam. It makes him a happy kid to hear "Yes" to his ideas, so I try to make a mental note to do that more often.

4. Have him grow up surrounded by love. I want to show him what a normal, healthy relationship is like. I want him to see parents who love each other unconditionally. I want him to see that we disagree, and I want him to see us work through our disagreements. I think its important that he not see us bottle up emotions, but rather talk about them- so that as he grows he feels free to express his opinions to us and other people in his life.

5. Teach him how to give. I want to raise a child that knows how important it is to give back and to serve others. I see lots of very self centered teenagers in my profession, and I don't want to raise a child who thinks he is at the center of the universe. I grew up serving on mission trips and volunteering, and working to earn things I wanted. I want Grayson to do the same.

6. I want to be the parent my kid feels like he can come to with anything. So often I have students open up to me with their biggest problems, fears and worries. Things they REALLY should be talking to a parent about. I always ask if they've talked to Mom or Dad, and it breaks my heart when they say "They wont listen". I always want Grayson (and any future children) to know that I will always listen, even if its something that I don't want to hear. I want to help him work through his problems and know he always has two people in his corner no matter what.

7. I want him to get frustrated. Yep, you read that right. Life is hard, and we get frustrated. If we don't let him get frustrated he will never know how to overcome his frustrations. He will just give up when things get tough, and that's the last thing I want. I tell my students life is tough, get a helmet. I will tell Gray the same. Just because things are tough does not mean you give up, it means you get though it and it makes you a better person.

Thank you, Eric Matthews.

8. To be adventurous. I want him to have the same wild spirit as his Daddy. To soar down a mountain on skis or want to see and do everything. To explore and investigate and enjoy life. Just please, no jumping out of an airplane.

9. Be fun. Life is not always so serious, baby boy. We need to laugh and have fun. I want to be the Mom that when you have chores to do, but the ice cream man is coming down the street we head outside to eat snow cones on the sidewalk. We have water balloon fights with Daddy. We blow bubbles in the kitchen and have dance parties. We LAUGH and create memories. Life is a balance between work and play, and I want to teach you that.

10. To know that no matter what happens, we love him more than words can ever say. We will make decisions for him that he feels are unfair, he may think we 'hate' him at some point in his life. I hope that he can always see that we love him and all of the decisions we make are out of love. We promise to always do our best for you and to give you everything you need in life. We will do this because we love you. You are the center of our world, and we will do anything for you. It is from this love that we will not buy you everything you demand, let you do unsafe or stupid things, quit when life gets hard or give up or pull away from us. We love you Bubbers, we really do. My ultimate goal in this parenting thing is that you always know that.

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Its amazing. You have this tiny, perfect little human who you love and adore and think is just the sweetest, best baby ever. Then they approach age two and it all goes to hell in a hand basket. All of a sudden they explode with personality and attitude and opinions and some days it's enough to make this Mama meet Daddy on the sidewalk and practically throw Grayson into his arms.

Case in point. Today Gray woke up all smiles and snuggles. We went downstairs for breakfast and I asked what he wanted to eat. I pulled every box of cereal down and when he finally chose the one he wanted I put it in a cup. Well apparently that is where I went wrong. I received a resounding "NOOOOOOOOOO" and tears ensued like I had given him brussel sprouts rather than Corn Pops. Within nano seconds I had a puddle on the floor where my toddler once stood. As I was trying to scoop him up to determine the problem his arms started flailing and he clocked me cold on the side of the head. Welp, that got him a swift dump into time out. Cue an even BIGGER tantrum. Crocodile tears, ringing his eyes, crossing his arms....it was like he was being beaten rather than standing in time out for 1.5 minutes. When it was over, I asked if he was ready to say sorry and come out- and just like that, my sweet baby was back. He gave hugs, and asked for his cereal. Then he sat at the table and munched like nothing happened.

Its like he has a crazy switch and throws it just for fun. Some days literally everything is met with a NOOO and tears, while others he's the most agreeable little thing- it can drive a Momma crazy.

But you know what, its ALL toddlers. They're all insane together!!

I realized this just a few days ago after a disastrous trip to target where I was pretty sure they wouldn't allow me back because my kid was crying so loud in the store. (Why? Because he fell asleep in the car on the way there and I had the nerve to wake him and attempt to get him to sit in the cart while I tried to purchase a wire shelf unit for the basement. He wanted held and when I set him down to lift the 50 pound box, he lost it. Needless to say, we did not purchase the shelf. Rather, I ran out of that store after people started coming from other aisles to see if I was beating my child.) I was browsing FB when I saw a post from a Mommy in my playgroup of her sweet little Bean, having an epic temper tantrum. She had commented how she was in time out for the second time that day for throwing a toy and was kicking and screaming the whole time. Other Moms from our playgroup were chiming in with their stories of toddler psycho-ness and I realized, they're all going crazy together.

All the kiddos are around the same age (born roughly end of September to the beginning of November 2011) and all seem to be hitting the terrible two's at the same early stage. It made me wonder that if at a recent trip to the park if they didn't all meet behind the monkey bars and plan out exactly how to get their Mommies admitted to an institution together. Because seriously, they could not have planned it better if they tried.

I think the only comfort that we have is the fact that when one of us feels like our kid has hit the crazy nail square on the head, there are at least four others chiming in with their horror stories. While to some it doesn't seem like it would be a help to know that another toddler embarrasses their parent in a public setting or hits and bites and punches when they are told "No you cant hit the dog with the shovel", it really does.

It makes you feel better.

It makes you realize that you're not a terrible parent, doing something wrong or losing your mind. Its nice to know you're not alone, and there is someone there to listen and commiserate with. In a world where most people tend to give you "the eye" when your child is acting up or out in public, like you can't raise your child properly, its so amazing to have someone tell you that its okay. That they have been there, too. It makes you feel normal. And a little dose of normal amongst toddler psycho is a pretty great feeling.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

I love the beach. I'm pretty sure I am meant to live by the sea, barefoot with sand stuck on me somewhere. Not just any sea, but the Outer Banks. I've been to the Caribbean and Mexico- but there is just something about that little spit of land that has my heart. Years ago I shared my favorite place on Earth with the hubs (who was just the bf back then!) and converted him from a beach hater to a beach lover. I could not wait to share our love for the sea with Grayson, to see how he would react. Since you know, my kid isn't real fond of having sand in his shoes or on his hands, I was a little nervous if he would love it or hate it. He LOVED it. He also loved that he had his Nana, Grandma and Grandpap with him for a whole week straight. Grayson and his Pap are pretty much twins and were inseparable all week. He was not a happy camper today when Pap was not around. So here are some pictures of our week- I'm already planning next years trip!

Hubs insists on driving on the beach-- his brand new Subaru had 700 miles on it when it hit the sand.

Birds, Ma! ﻿

Napping on Grandma.

BFFs.

Daddy caught a fish, and Grayson wanted to hug him.

Holding the fishy. (Don't worry, we put him right back in the ocean!)

Why is Pap Grayson's favorite? Could it be that he gives him a comfy chair, a bucket of water to rest his feet in then hand feeds him cherries and water out of a bottle cap in the shade? #kingofthebribes﻿

Surfing.

Flying his new kite.

Photo bombed by the hubs.

﻿

Oh, Pap also pulls you in the shallow water for hours if you say "Peas!!"

The K Family- 2013. ﻿

Silly face photo shoot. This is the face Grayson makes when he says "George" as in Curious George. I die.

Welcome to my crazy life!Come along with me as I attempt to navigate the crazy life of a wife, new mommy, professional cheapskate, DIY-er, and teacher

I'm a wife to the hubs and a mama to the bean. A lover of sweet tea and pajama pants. A wanna-be photographer and world traveler. A black and gold football junkie. Cheap at heart, with expensive taste. Spend my days chasing the man-child, DIY-ing my dreams, and keeping a lid on my sarcasm. This is my crazy life, welcome to it.